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Will You Quaranteam?

If you could choose 5-10 people to quarantine with who would they be?

This is the question we may all be facing as we head into winter. If you live on the east coast like me, you know your days of fun in the sun are dwindling fast. Even today, there is a chill in the air that tells me colder weather is on its way. Tomorrow, it’s supposed to rain and someday soon there will likely be snow.

I bring you this weather report because we are going to be spending a lot more time indoors. Now that I understand the virus a little better, I can be more strategic about who we choose to spend time with and remain healthy.

Quaranteaming vs. Germ Pods

If you aren’t sure what your plans are yet, you have a few options to choose from. Some people form “quaranteams” which technically means leaving your home behind to stay at someone else’s home or inviting friends to live with you. The purpose of this is to have some form of social interaction – besides with your immediate family — while on lockdown.

Personally, I don’t think I could quaranteam. I love my friends, but I want to KEEP my friends. Unless we were all quaranteaming in Hawaii – then, I’d make an exception.

I’d prefer forming “germ pods. Or as I prefer to call them, quarantine bubbles. (Sounds nicer, doesn’t it?) These are made up of about 12 people, or three families, who stay in their own homes but agree to go steady – meaning they don’t socialize outside the group.

They share the same values and follow CDC guidelines like wearing masks everywhere they go and wash their hands frequently. These are people I can spend quality time with without much fear of being exposed–and we don’t have to share a bathroom for three months.

My Bottom Line

Of course, there are no guarantees. I can be exposed to COVID-19 while food shopping or pumping gas. Every time I venture out for basic necessities, I know there is a risk. However, socializing with friends in person is important to our well being. It is a luxury and a responsibility that I am willing to take on if it results in keeping us all happy and sane.

So, what are your plans? Are you quaranteaming this winter? Forming a bubble? Or winging it?

Thanks, Elton John

I had a dream last night that I was front and center at an Elton John concert. No one wore masks and no one was social-distancing. There was just fantastic music. Actually, he was playing just one song.

Don’t you know
I’m still standing better than I ever did
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid
And I’m still standing after all this time
Picking up the pieces of my life
Without you on my mind

I’m still standing
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’m still standing
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)

Maybe this is my new theme song. God knows I’ve been through a lot this year. I probably had COVID-19 back in March before we even knew what it was. I couldn’t get tested because I didn’t meet all the guidelines – no fever, no shortness of breath. Still, I was sick for over three weeks with a horrible cough, fatigue, and the most telling – losing my sense of taste. I know now that it was likely a lighter case of the virus. But, I was sicker than I’ve been in a long time.

I’m still standing
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)

I was furloughed back in July and spent the better part of three months job hunting and collecting unemployment for the first time in my life. I spent most of my time networking, writing, applying, and interviewing. Rinse and repeat. I’ll say this – looking for a new job is no picnic in normal times. During a pandemic, it can seem like an eternity.

I’m still standing
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)

Everyone in our household was affected by quarantine in different ways. Jenna had to leave college early and finish the semester from home. Andrew couldn’t hang out with his friends or play sports and had figure out how to go to school remotely. Both my husband and I were also working from home. We realized how much we missed the commutes we used to complain about all the time. But, they were a clean separation from work life and family. And while we love each other dearly, it wasn’t easy being on lockdown for so long. Our dog, Chloe, was the only one who loved every minute of it.

I’m still standing
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)

It’s been an adjustment for all of us this year. Little things that we took for granted like going to our children’s activities to canceling vacations and sacrificing big events like bar mitzvahs and weddings all went by the wayside. Even now, we are still trying to figure out our comfort levels as we head into an uncertain winter season. Who will we let into our quarantine bubble? Are we comfortable eating indoors at restaurants? How will we spend the holidays? There is still much more ahead of us. But, we can pat ourselves on the back a little and remember…

We’re still standing
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)

 

 

Dinner for Four

My son, Andrew, has eaten dinner at his girlfriend’s house many times in the past year. From what I hear, her mom is an amazing cook. She not only serves the main meal like filet or pork loin but also a plethora of side dishes to choose from. She also makes homemade bread and desserts which she often generously sends home with Andrew to share with us.

A few things here. In my house, side dishes are typically a canned vegetable or applesauce. I’ve always had trouble with side dishes. To me, side dishes are for Thanksgiving dinner, not Taco Tuesday. Also, it takes me a while to make the main course and side dishes mean more work and more dishes to clean.

Second, I’ve never been much of a baker. Sure, I will whip up the occasional batch of chocolate chip cookies and, of course, hamantaschen on Purim. When we have company, I like to buy dessert and the local bakeries (and probably the fire department) thank me for supporting them.

Recently, I decided to invite her for Shabbat dinner. I asked Andrew to set the bar a little lower for me and set expectations accordingly. I cannot compete with her mom and definitely don’t want to. But, I can certainly pull off a Friday night dinner. I will make her the food of our people – brisket, sweet and sour meatballs, and push myself to make a side dish of honey carrots (fancy, right?!).

One question – does sweet kugel count as dessert? I hope so.

I enjoy a good challenge such as having a special occasion to cook. They are only 17 so this isn’t a dinner that means anything more than wanting to spend more time with them. And in the end, I hope it is my conversational skills that will win her over where my culinary ones likely will not.

And maybe – just maybe – she will bring home a few pieces of kugel for her parents to try.

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